As confusion is found to
exist with regard to the Right and Left Pillars of the Sephiroth on the Tree of
Life in relation to the right and left sides of a man, and as to the phases of
the Moon—you must note:

That in every diagram and
picture, the right hand side of the observer is next to the Pillar of
Mercy—Chokmah, Chesed, and Netzach; while the Pillar of Severity is on the
observer’s left hand. Yet when you apply the Tree of Life to yourself, your
right side, arm, and leg represent the side of Strength and Severity, Binah,
Geburah and Hod, and your left side refers to the Pillar of Mercy. So that when
you look at a diagram, you are looking, as it were, at a man facing
you, that your right side faces his left. His Merciful side forms the right hand
Pillar in front of you, so that it is as if you looked at
yourself in a mirror.

Just as the man looks at
you, so does the Moon look at you and so you say that the Moon in her increase
is on the side of Mercy, the right hand pillar of the Sephiroth; and in her
decrease, the crescent is on the left hand Pillar of
Severity.

A Diagram, then, is a
picture of a Man or the Moon facing you. The Tem­ple Pillars are
similar:

Black PillarSeverityLeftNorth

White PillarMercyRightSouth

Black PillarBoazStolistes

White PillarJachinDadouchos

That is, the white Mercy or
Jachin Pillar is on your right hand as you approach the Altar from the West and
from the Hiereus. (See

Chronicles II. iii, 17.)
“And call the Name on the right hand (of him who enters) Jachin, and the Name of
that on the left, Boaz.”

So in making the Qabalistic
Cross on your breast it is correct to touch the Forehead and say Ateh—Thou art; the Heart—Malkuth; Right Shoulder, ye­Geburah; left shoulder ve-Gedulah, and with the fingers clasped
on the breast say, Le, olahm, amen!